By Sarah Williams
Will you be traveling with a knife by Air, Sea, or Land? You must know that there are specific rules to follow in doing so. Read on to learn all about it.
For a traveler, knives can be handy in a bevy of ways, and it’s hard to believe that there can be restrictions on such useful and functional tools.
But alas, people use knives for numerous purposes, which even include some illegal activities. These people tend to use knives as a weapon which can harm people. So, yes, there exists a red tape you can’t cut through.
With this blog, we’ll be sharing a few helpful tips for you to traveling with a knife safely.
When on Ground: Walking around rules
If you’re thinking of carrying flip-open knives with you to any place you go, we would suggest to not do that. Flip-open knives such as switchblades, butterfly knives, and gravity knives aren’t allowed to be possessed by local tourists.
However, most states allow other knives to be carried openly.
You must note that the pocket knife laws exist only in Georgia, under which they limit the size of the blade to be within 5 inches.
Tip: If you’re traveling and are interested in carrying perkin knives, you can reach out to Bernard Levine, a dude on the internet, who is a self-proclaimed knife expert. He can serve you with right and detailed information about what, where, and how to travel with a knife in any state.
When in Air: Complex and Safety Rules
So, you’ll be flying the friendly skies? Well, the only type of knives that are allowed on a plane are round-tipped butter knives and plastic knives. Doesn’t this sound boring!
Okay, you can also pack your real knives, but only in your checked bags. However, you must ensure that those knives are appropriately wrapped, as there always will be a possibility of a TSA official checking your bag to give it pass.
But don’t worry, not doing so will not get you arrested. It’s just a human thing to wrap any dangerous thing properly so that no one gets hurt, including you.
When it comes to declaring about you carrying knives in your check-in baggage, it’s a gray area. Some people have reported that they didn’t declare them carrying a blade at the check-in counter, and the checked baggage wasn’t loaded on the plane. When asked the reason for not loading the luggage, they found that security officers found an undeclared knife in the suitcase.
Usually, most people who travel with knives always tend to declare them, and they don’t face any problems in going through wit it. So, it’s always better to declare that you’re traveling with a knife.
When on water: Cruise like a pro.
Numerous cruises follow different regulations for bringing knives to their ships. You must consult your chosen cruise line and read up on their rules to move ahead. Most cruise ships that take you up to any floating island would generally allow a pocket knife blade of four inches or smaller.
If you’re going scuba diving, you might want to take the permission with the security in bringing a diving knife as well. Unlike perkin knives, which are designed for multiple usages, the diving knives are designed for specific used underwater. Hence, many a time they are allowed with the divers.
However, if you’re going on a private boat on an ocean for fishing, you can grab a machete if you want. 🙂
So, the bottom line is, you can carry the blades you love or purchase it from any corner of the world and bring it home. All you have to do is bring is with safe packing and through the right route.
